Cuff-pin.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

WADE W. WILLIAMS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND'.

CUFF-PIN.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WADE WV. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements -in Cuff- Pins, of which t-he following is a specification, reference being had therein. to the acy companying drawings.

Like reference letters indicate like parts. Figure 1 is a top plan view of the blank for the base plate, pin housing and pin catch, used in the construction of my improved cuff pin. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pin tongue forming a part of'my said cuff pin. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of said pin tongue, especially showing the spring coils and the spring presser foot thereof. Fig. 5f is aview in side elevation of the pin tongue, as seen mounted in its housing, and the ornament-al front of the cuff pin rolled over upon the base plate, said ornamental front, housing and base plate being shown in central longitudinal section. Fig. 6 is a view in end elevation of said base plate and housing, with the pin tongue mounted in the housing, and also a sectional view of the base plate and ornamental fro-nt ofthe cuf'i1 pin, as seen on line 2 2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of my improved cuff pin, with the pin tongue engaged with the pin catch, the ornamental front of the cuff pin being represented in cent-ral longitudinal section. V My invention relates to the class of cuit pins, and it consists of the novel construction and combination of t-lie several parts thereof, as hereinafter described and claimed.

` In the drawings a blank is shown in Fig. 1,' which is used as a baseplate, pin-tongue housingand pin catch, when t-he latter has been properly bent into form adapting it to a practical use. This blank has an elongated, generally-elliptical (or other preferred) outline or shape, and has the foljlowing named integral parts-a body por tion A, a housing B and a lateral projection C. The projection C, at that outer edge thereof, which is perpendicular to the major axis of the body A and near the end thereof, has a prolongation D. A small recess E is formed on the opposite edge of the body A, opposite to the projection C and its prolongation D. The housing B has a central Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 21, 1909.

Serial No. 534,305. i

longitudinal opening or slot F, on that edge which is parallel to the body A.

'The pin-tongue G is made of a tempered wire or stock and has at one end the pin point H. At its opposite end it has the spiral coils I and J, of which the coil I is a closed, circular spiral and the coil J is a lhalf-closed spiral, t-he latter' extending as a projection or foot, -which serves' as a presser K and said presser or foot ternii nates with an elongated closed loop kL, adapted to lie at in the plane of the presser K at a right angle with the coils I and J.

The blank, shown in Figs. l and 2, is bentl into the forni shown in Fig. 7. The projection C is bent to form `t-he hood M, which has an opening N for the entrance of the pin point H. The prolongation D of the projection'C, when the hood M has been bent into form, lies within the recess E of the blank, with its end fiush with t-he underl surface of the body A, as illustrated in Figs. 4l and 7.

The housing B has the central longitudinal slot or opening F on its top, as already described, and the inner end of said slot formsy a stop o to limit the closing oscillaratented May 21, 1912i.`

tion of the pin tongue G, and the outer end 5, 6 and'7. The slot or opening F liesfa little t-o one side of'the central longitudinal line of the housing B, as represented infFig. 1. The coil I lies loosely alongside one side wall of the housing B with the portionn of the coil I wholly covered by the portion m of said housing. The coil J lies loosely alongside the inner surface of the other side wall, and the 'shaft G extends loosely through the slot or opening F. The presser foot K-and its loop L lie ikatwise, and extend beneath the body A of the base plate, directed toward the pin catch or hood M.

rThe ornamental front of the'cuif pin is designated as Q, and extends parallel to the base plate A, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, with its peripheral edge rolled over upon the base plate A to cover the edge of the base plate, as illustrated yat R. Thus the rolled edge R extends along over the entire peripheral edge of the base plate, except the recess E, and across the opening of said recess. Thus the prolongation or projection D of the hood M is prevented from displacement from the recess E. The rolled edge R also extends along and over that portion of the base plate contiguous to the sides of the housing B and holds all the parts together. The presser foot K is loosely held between and is in contact with the inner surface of the base plate A and the inner surface of the ornamental front Q, as seen in Figs. 5 and 7, and the pin tongue G, extending loosely through the slot F of the housing B, is capable of an oscillatory movement limited by the stops O and P of the housing B.

The normal position of the pin tongue G, is that illustrated in Fig. 5, and then the angle formed between the parts G and K is the same as the angle of said parts'shown in Fig. 3. Then the pin tongue G is swung to engage the hooded pin catch M, as rep` resented in Fig. 7, the angle between the parts G and K is greatly reduced, and consequently these parts are put into spring tension. The res-ult is that the pin point H is securely held in engagement with the pin catch, and when released from such engagement, the pin tongue automatically opens to it-s normal position, seen in Fig. 5.

The pin tongue G and its integral coils I, J, presser foot IQ and loop L are prevented from lateral oscillation or rocking principally by the loop L of the presser foot K, which extends between the parallel, contiguous surfaces of the base plate A and ornamental front Q, of the cuff pin, aided, however, to some degree, by the parallel side walls of the housing B. The pin tongue stands upon its presser foot K, L, and is supported and prevented thereby from all lateral movement, the same result being aided by the side walls of the housing' B. The spring action of the pin in closing is due first to the resilience of the presser foot K, L, until the shaft G comes into contact with the cross edge O of the slot F of the housing B. Said edge O then serves as a fulcrum on which the shaft of the pin tongue G is sprung in the well-known manner. It is thus seen that the usual pivoting of the pin tongue to a pin joint is avoided and that the usual resiliency of the pin tongue is enhanced, not only by the spiral coils, but especially by the spring temper of the looped presser or foot K, L.

If the stock from which the blank of the base plate and its integral parts is formed is gold-plated stock, it is desirable that the exposed surfaces of the pin catch or hood should be gold, instead of base metal.

This device is useful not only in the manufacture of cuff pins, but also in brooches and similar articles.

The portion mof the housing B, as seen in Fig. 6, extends farther from the base plate than the transversely-opposite portions of the said housing and leaves an intermediate shoulder. This portion m not only serves to cover and conceal the closed spiral coil I of the pin tongue G, but it protects the lace or other fabric of the cuff from b-ecoming entangled between the coils I and J.

Instead of making the base plate with a piircatch and housing both integral therewith, it is obvious .that the base plate may be divided transversely along its minor axis, and the housing be integral with one part of the base plate and the pin catch with the other part.

I claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

l. In a cuff pin or similar article, the combination of a base plate having a pin catch, a housing having two parallel side walls and an open top, and also having two opposite end walls, ay tempered pin tongue comprising all in one piece a shaft having a pointed end, a presser at the opposite end and an intermediate spiral coil consisting of one full coil and one half coil, one of said side walls being extended farther from the base plate than the other and forming a shoulder adapted to overlie said coil, an ornamental front, between which and the base plate said presser has a bearing, said' pin tongue being loosely mounted in said housing by its spiral coils, and the shaft of the pin tongue being capable of a longitudinal oscillation through said open top of the housing into engagement at its pointed end with the pin catch.

2. A hinge for cuff pins comprising a housing having two parallel side walls, two opposite end walls and an open top, one of said side walls being extended farther than the other and forming a side overlying shoulder at the top of the housing and bordering tlie opening therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVADE WV. IVILLIAMS.

litnesses ARTHUR I). JOHNSON, `WARREN It. PERCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

